Recording as a career?

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Jackbh241

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Okay so i am young and have been interested in Recording for a long time, and music for an even longer time. and basically i am wondering is it actually a realistic field to go into audio recording? and if so what is the best way to go about it? Anyone who does this as a career i would love your advice :).

I am basically at that age where im trying to answer the typical question; "what do you REALLY wanna do? you know like REALLY, like when you done playing music, like a REAL job". haha.
I'm currently tossing up between Music Business Management and Audio Engineering. Preferably seeking an industry that is not like starting a band in the sense that you have a very short lived career that is very unlikely to actually make any money out of it. :)

Any help would be greatly appreciated :).
Jackxx
 
Jackbh241 said:
Okay so i am young and have been interested in Recording for a long time, and music for an even longer time. and basically i am wondering is it actually a realistic field to go into audio recording? and if so what is the best way to go about it? Anyone who does this as a career i would love your advice :).

I am basically at that age where im trying to answer the typical question; "what do you REALLY wanna do? you know like REALLY, like when you done playing music, like a REAL job". haha.
I'm currently tossing up between Music Business Management and Audio Engineering. Preferably seeking an industry that is not like starting a band in the sense that you have a very short lived career that is very unlikely to actually make any money out of it. :)

Any help would be greatly appreciated :).
Jackxx
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I'd probably say to look into management. Aurdio Engineering is great, but the market is growing smaller and smaller by the day!
 
A career in engineering would be very difficult to achieve. While each year a lucky few break into the filed and have success - the odds are not in your favor.

If you are also thinking about management - perhaps consider taking that one step further.................attorney - with a focus on the enterntainment industry.
 
I disagree slightly....it may be hard to do what you want all of the time.
however, i like out doing some audio editing and voice over acting for a E-Learning Company.

I also found money in voice acting and audio editing for phone systems for offices, audio restoration and recording choirs.

Also branching out into other styles such as jazz, hip hop, and metal can help bring home the bacon too.
 
Much depends on what one expects or needs from a salary standpoint.

While there are a lucky few who may pull in $100,000 plus a year - I don't personally know anyone who earns a living solely in audio recording making more than $30,000. Most make less.

In fact, I don't personally know anyone earning a living solely from music production/gigging that makes more than $40,000. Most make less.

iownrocknroll does make a very valid point - diversification.

I think anyone who wants to earn a living from music needs to have several irons in the fire - engineering/producing, gigging (both in a band and solo), working in a music store or publishing company, teaching, etc.

My studio does not generate enough to support me or my family, but like iownrocknrol, I've found that music on hold, songwriter demos, voice over work, jingles, etc all help bring in revenue (actually these things bring in more revenue than trying to record bands ever did).
 
also consulting and construction.....
i'm still young so I work like a fool, however i don't do any "cover work"

i sing and play guitar in an original band, i also play piano/keyboard in an another original band, both that i tour with, i also own a small studio "i'll post pictures" which I rent out for rehearsal for one other band plus my own records there for around 120 a month to help cover the rent.

i've down consulting and implementation for pro tools and nuendo based facilities, also worked on construction of new studios.

as well the stuff i listed earlier, you can make a living doing what you love, but like any "business owner" be prepared to work. my day starts at 7 am and ends at midnight 7 days a week.

i'm pulling in over 40k doing so however.

i also am single with no kids and live in the pittsburgh area.


btw iownrocknroll=Jon
 
iownrocknroll

It sounds like you have a good business plan and as importantly, a good work ethic. People with a plan who are willing to work often find success.......and no doubt that's why you pull in over $40,000

I've been a "working" musician for about 40 years (full time on the road for about 7 of those years) and I've seen so many young guys who think it's all about a break or making the right connection.

In music - like in any business - it's about dedication, hard work and being prepared when opportunity comes along.
 
mikeh said:
A career in engineering would be very difficult to achieve. While each year a lucky few break into the filed and have success - the odds are not in your favor.

If you are also thinking about management - perhaps consider taking that one step further.................attorney - with a focus on the enterntainment industry.
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Very good idea. There is a huge shortage in this field imo.
 
thanks

thanks guys, its really interesting to hear how people achieve "success" in this industry. Still haven't made up my mind though haha.

thanks again :D.
Jackxx
 
new hardware

what I would be afraid of is all the new hardware that make life easy for anyone who wants to record.. I mean, it's a lot easier now to make your own home studio in your garage than it was 15 year ago.

am I wrong?
 
Audio as part of a larger skill set

I have worked integrating analog feeds into digital gear from the late 70s. In the world of digital multimedia that we live in, I find that the audio quality sucks. I think that combing the skills of a musician, and audio engineer, a video person, with computer animation and editing would make a lasting foundation for employment. A big movie when I was a kid, The Graduate, has the young hero beign reassured by someones dad that he should go into "plastics". I thinks its equivalent today is digital multimedia.
 
I too would jump at the chance to become an Audio Engineer but I have come to the same conclusion that the rest of the posters have already stated.
 
Recent poll shows full time musicians earn, on average, $10K a year.

Check out The Story of Anvil documentary, if you can. Quote "We've never seen a cents from the record company". I believe it. They sign a band, pay a signing bonus, after all the expenses, which they will charge back to the artist, equals nothing back to the artist, because that's how business works.
Do you think that champagne party was really paid by the record company ? It gets deducted from earnings. Only a handfull of artists make enough to live off of, seriously.

Wanna make money ? .... don't be in a band, etc
Be a merchandiser, selling guitars & gear to musicians, and make money. Whether the artists makes money ... what do they care. Just keep coming back, because maybe a new Marshall on stage will impress a record company. If not that, maybe a new drum kit.
Second, is recording studios ... with similar concept. artists pay for that perfect demo. Doesn't work, go back to perfect it. They will tell you it's the best, and maybe record company might even look at it, let alone listen to your demo. So, Studios get paid, but artists ?
 
gaud2029 said:
what I would be afraid of is all the new hardware that make life easy for anyone who wants to record.. I mean, it's a lot easier now to make your own home studio in your garage than it was 15 year ago.

am I wrong?
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I don't know about you, but I rather record on a Neve than a Behringer. Or tweek the dials of a LA2A than a Presonus lol. Everyone pretty much hit it on the spot. Its just a business as any other businesses. You'll have every position available, just at the end, a different product.
 
Finding a Niche is allways a good thing...Management is easy when you can hit it off with venue owners and build a nice stable.

the best way to build a stable is to promise the talent a well done CD to sell at the venues...and having that nicely done CD goes a long way with the venue owners...when you can get 10% of the venue and a buck a CD...that adds up nicely.

You have to be able to promote the talent and book them...the web is full of free places to put up a promotional site...posters can be made easy with programs.
 
Working out of a home studio or a small commercial studio can be a great money maker - if you know how to target clients and get them recording with you. You need to understand that there are tens of thousands of young bands who want to record, but can't afford the big dog studios. If you target these up and comers, gain loyalty so they continue to record with you in the future, and really get involved in your local music community, you can do well for yourself.

This has been my experience, and I'm sure a lot of other people know it's a viable business, too. You just need to want it, and you need to invest the time in learning how to market your services well.
 
rockstudio said:
Working out of a home studio or a small commercial studio can be a great money maker - if you know how to target clients and get them recording with you. You need to understand that there are tens of thousands of young bands who want to record, but can't afford the big dog studios. If you target these up and comers, gain loyalty so they continue to record with you in the future, and really get involved in your local music community, you can do well for yourself.

This has been my experience, and I'm sure a lot of other people know it's a viable business, too. You just need to want it, and you need to invest the time in learning how to market your services well.
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I somewhat agree with you. However my experience, is that running a small commercial studio isn't the best "Money maker". Thats with ourselves actively involved in the local scene. For one thing, not even a niche of the market are considered "up and comings". 2, bands like that are very unreliable. 3. I found that corporating with projects from indie labels or corporations provide more stable income while home studios & small commercial studios your getting walk ins here and there that do not provide stable incomes. 4. The income you do get from home recording will not pay the bills. 5. Majority of small & home studios are well... small.. you only have x amount of hours, and if your charging $25-30 an hour at a commercial spot, you will be out of business soon.

Just for experience backgrounds, I started recording like that, then with a investor backing, built a 4 control room 7 room studio with green screen, video editing room with a lounge & kitchen. Pretty nice place but by far million dollar studio.. We started with walk ins with radio promotions, ad's in newspapers, magazines, and well an extensive marketing budget. All starting at $25/hr. Many many talented individuals & bands came through, but they USUALLY did not have a recording budget or money to do their whole project. I have a whole lot of loyal artists. Still after you factor out the cost of the building, utilities (electric you can imagine is HIGH), employee compensations, and the marketing budgets we were barely scraping by. These days, we record for Universal artists, and several "mainstream" artists that have at least $10K to spend on recording their projects. Now we are overbooked for at least 5 months ahead of time, with 25% non-refundable deposits etc. Not to mention other sources of income that the average indie artist on the streets not willing to pay only because they have to keep it affordable for themselves. Not that it isn't already affordable. Prices jumped from $25 to $40hr easily. Now-A-Days it pays the bills double & more. There are other studios around the area that come and go just as fast as indies beginning to realize that being a performing artist is not where their careers will end up. Most of them becoming things like IT professionals, lawyers, and your average citizen. IE we charge Sony & Universal a minimum of $200/hr for my time. And their loyalty remains.
 
Hey Mindset,

I appreciate your thoughts. It sounds like you have a great thing going on - congrats! A lot of people dream of that kind of business.

Where our studio businesses differ is in that budget you discussed. Marketing and employees... that's a lot of big expenses. And I have never needed to spend that kind of money to get a profit from my studio.

We're just two different business models - I rely on my personal contacts and using creative marketing. A shoestring budget forces you to find innovative ways to bring in new clients. And I've been a master of that kind of innovation.
 
Just for notes to help some of you out... Understand that without a record label. That "million dollar budget" wouldn't exist for artists. Secondly. If you were given an advance and you spent all your money "living the good life" and ran out of money it would be no one elses fault except your own. Record labels pay for EVERYTHING upfront in "hopes" that the artist is successful.

depending on your contracts, majority will allow their artists to play live and keep $$ for playing live with no recouping the cost of the recording budget. All in All, artists tend to sign things they do not understand. Recording budgets for producers allow the $$ to be directed for the benefit of the artist & producer. IE if you receive a $300,000 recording contract, it will be up to the producer the artist, to find a place to record unless they do it in house. Say you find a place that costs you total of $20,000 to do the whole deal, cheap. and you get take care of your expenses which your producer & you figure in your budget. If you succeed your costs, more money comes in and more money comes out of recouping costs. IF you keep your costs LOW, and you spend well under your budget, the REST of the money is you and your producer's. Before all that you would need to have the producer and yourself to sign a contract. It could get even tricker at this point. You can choose to have the Record label pay the producer which does not come out of your own recouping costs, or you plan to pay them through royalty points only. And/or you pay them through the rest of the recording budget surplus. Say if you only spent $100,000 total out of a $300K budget. $200,000 can be split with the artist & producer, depending on what you 2 agree with.. That money is yours to "keep" if your contract states that you will be recouping artist advances and not the budget. Take as much as you can cause not all monies that the label gives you are recoupable. Some labels require the artists to recoup the recording budget also, some just the advance. Know what your getting yourself into. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. I myself require my artists to recoup the advances only. We require for the producer/artist to record with our inhouse studios. And usually with an inhouse producer unless the label accepts hiring an outside producer. All producers would be paid directly by us, and recieve points. Balancing the label & the artist. Only because I am/used to be an artist.
 
Mindset said:
Say if you only spent $100,000 total out of a $300K budget. $200,000 can be split with the artist & producer, depending on what you 2 agree with.. That money is yours to "keep" if your contract states that you will be recouping artist advances and not the budget.
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Trust me and take my word for it, I deal with Royalty and A&R people everyday. They will re-coup what is spent and the advance, too. The record company always pays the bills AND will re-coup absolutely everything back, including the record release party. Budget is the planned expense. The re-coup will be for anything spent.
If the record cost $300K, and the album sells $200K of billing minus manufacturing and packaging, advertising (and the list goes on) ... the record company eats the cost, unless there is another album due, and they will continue to re-coup until the expenses are met
 
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